Learning to Code In One Day and Losing My Mind

Wednesday, January 08, 2014

Considering that I host a show about technology, my inability to do more than dabble in a smidgen of HTML seemed unacceptable.

In fact, when I had my personal website built two years ago, I often didn't even understand the developer's questions. Would a small change to the size of an on-screen box take five hours or five minutes? I had no idea.

So I signed up for Code in a Day, a class run by the British startup Decoded. The instructors claimed that we would learn the ins and outs of coding and then create an app in just nine hours.

Video produced by Jennifer Hsu

I had my doubts that I could learn so much by the end of class, but I hoped to leave with an ability to ask programmers better questions in interviews and work more intelligently with WNYC's digital team.

Talk the talk even if I couldn't walk the walk.

A History of Math Aversion

At the very least I wanted to have a showdown, a reckoning of sorts, with my life-long insecurities about computer science and math.

Let me take you back for a moment. When I was in tenth grade, the head of the math department at my high school told me I didn't have a natural aptitude for the subject.

This was before all the talk about empowering girls to study STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and catering to students' various "learning styles." These days, my professor's outright dismissal of my lack of numbers savvy wouldn't fly.

My Decoded classmates included the head of a travel startup, the CEO of a private equity group (with his CTO along for the ride), an MTA marketing exec, and Jared Grant, a strategist at Paper Magazine.

Jared's Twitter bio reads: "My blonde hair makes me glamorously hard as nails." Clearly Jared's another storyteller, and needless to say, we became fast friends. The instructors were two Brits who claimed to have transformed from English Literature majors into coding dynamos. They said we could (sort of) do it too.

By the end of the day, I did learn the difference between HTML, CSS and Javascript. And that's not all.

The most meaningful takeaway for me: It turns out you can search, cut and paste your way to coding. Kind of like using a phrase book in a foreign country in lieu of actually learning the language.

But let's say you're a beginner like me who, for example, wants to make your font bigger on a website. You can just google, "How can I make my font bigger in HTML?" Then just copy and paste. (Here's the answer from HTML Goodies).

I Made a Functioning App (and Had an Existential Crisis Along the Way)

In addition to actually creating (mostly) an app that allows my kids to "check-in" when they get home (yes, geolocation included), I also had a bit of an existential crisis.

Here are some of the thoughts that ran through my head throughout the day:

"Am I letting womenkind down by admitting this is extremely difficult for me?"

"Would this class have been easier for me if, in third grade, I had actually learned what multiplication is instead of memorizing the times tables?"

"Why doesn't anyone else here want to talk about how this class is making them feel????"

So, Did I Conquer My Fear of Coding?

In the end, yes.

To put a finer point on it, I think I gained an even greater deference for code.

We had just completed a three-day "hostile environment" survival training course for journalists where we had tripped over fake IEDs and been "kidnapped" (complete with sacks over our heads). Afterward, I turned and asked her, "So, what did you learn?"

"I learned I never want to go to war zone," she said.

Just as my friend realized covering international conflict wasn't for her, I learned coding isn't for me. But you don't really know unless you try, right?

Comments [11]

Jane - That's amazing that you play NTC in class. We'd love to hear any other feedback or stories about which of them resonate ... or maybe what other kinds of stories might be helpful to this kind of use.

Watching this video reminded me that I actually took an html class years and years ago. Can you believe that when you said you were learning code that I didn't think you were talking about html? javascript? oh dear.... you are an inspiration to us all. And I just realized that because I use Blogger for my work and since Blogger is so unhelpful, I have taught myself a little coding already! Just a little. But if I didn't watch this video I wouldn't even know that I knew any coding at all. Thanks Manoush! It's okay if you aren't a tech master, you just need to find and report the things we need in our lives to make better decisions for ourselves and our families!

I play your podcasts quite often in my middle school computer classes. The kids listen why they practice keyboarding or not then we discuss the podcast. Today's podcast was perfect for explaining to students what's behind all this technology they use. And they heard the president say they should. Surprisingly, in this particular class of 21 in a middle to upper middle class suburb, only one student said he was familiar with coding and was actually going to computer camp to learn how to this summer. When I showed this group the HTML source behind a webpage their jaws dropped. Now I know I showed this to them before in previous grades. Kids at this age are hormonal and not thinking about code, but it's my job to show them they coding can be rewarding in more ways than one. So one of my goals is to learn how to code and incorporate it into my classes. I already use the "Scratch" program, created by MIT, but that doesn't require true coding. Thank Manoush and WNYC I always enjoy your show and get so much from it.

I took Computer Science 101 as a work requirement. I did well in the class, but I cried real tears every time I had to deal with mantissas, truth tables and electrical circuits. If my manager had asked me to take CS 102, I'd have emigrated to Borneo, or whatever society doesn't rely on technology as much as we do. Coding was -- and remains -- an intimidating activity to me. Just as not everyone can write a novel, not everyone can become a programmer.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for making coding seem less intimidating. As a 45 year old woman (um, 45 is the new 35 so don't visualize anything less than Cindy Crawford, wink, wink) I want to empower myself. I fear if I don't learn these things by the time I'm 60 technology will have me seem like I'm a caveman trying to fly a plane. Code on!

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